Ruto Fires Justin Muturi, Reshuffles Cabinet

As part of the latest Cabinet reshuffle, the president appointed Deborah Barasa as the new Cabinet Secretary for the Environment Ministry, meaning both Deborah and Duale swapped places.

Muturi was meanwhile immediately replaced by Geoffrey Ruku in the Public Service docket.

CS Aden Duale, who has now been moved to the Ministry of Health. /FILE

"His Excellency, the President, has today instituted further changes to the senior ranks of the executives within Cabinet. By the Presidential Action, the Cabinet is set to achieve its constitutional full strength," read part of a statement shared by State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed.

Mohamed stated that the changes are intended to strengthen the Cabinet’s ability to drive Kenya’s socioeconomic transformation.

"The nominees are expected to bring to Cabinet not only the knowledge and experience acquired throughout their illustrious careers but, above all, their wisdom accumulated from their inspiring and diverse life journeys," read part of Ruto's statement.

Following the announcement, Hannah Webot and Geoffrey Ruku will undergo parliamentary vetting. If approved, their names will be forwarded to the President for formal appointment.

Hannah Teriki Wendot Cheptumo is a Kenyan lawyer who is the wife of the late Baringo Senator William Cheptumo. The nomination fulfils a promise that President Ruto had made to the late legislator.

Before his nomination as Public Service CS, Ruku served as the Member of Parliament for Mbeere North. He replaces Muturi, who was dismissed after holding the position for eight months since August last year.

Muturi, who previously held various roles in President Ruto's administration, has been a vocal critic of the government, accusing it of allegedly orchestrating the abduction of young Kenyans.

This move comes hours after President Ruto called Muturi 'fairly incompetent' over his tenure as the Attorney General, despite him later appointing him to his broad-based Cabinet.

According to Ruto, Muturi's incompetence was linked to the oversight of legal processes related to the creation of a Waqf Commission, which would be responsible for managing Islamic endowments.

“I had a problem with the AG who was there before—he was fairly incompetent. But now, I have a very competent lady in the position, and I can assure you that the issues of Wakf will be sorted out within months,” Ruto stated.

Muturi would later respond by saying "Under the Waqf Act no.8 of 2022, there’s no provision for a “Muslim Endowment Fund “. It must be understood that a waqf is a religious, charitable, or benevolent endowment by a person who professes Muslim faith and is managed by the Waqf Commission."

On January 12, Muturi stirred controversy by naming senior government officials allegedly linked to the abduction of his son, Leslie, during the June Gen-Z protests. Since then, he has consistently demanded action on the issue, frequently causing tensions within the government he serves.